Trump, Hegseth Claim Military Deterrence Curbed Drugs, Piracy

Hegseth said, "At the Department of War that meant reestablishing deterrence." He argued conflicts such as Afghanistan, Ukraine and the October 7 attack in Israel would not have occurred under Trump.

He said the administration had sent a clear signal to adversaries. "When President Trump said... Iran, you won't have a nuclear bomb, he meant it," Hegseth said. "And we sent those B-2s halfway around the world and they never noticed."

Hegseth also linked military actions to drug interdiction. "When you said... we're not going to tolerate trafficking drugs anymore... He meant it and we're executing that," he said.

Trump said maritime traffickers are treated the same as drug smugglers. "Anybody that does -- that gets the same treatment as a drug dealer," he said.

He claimed sharp declines in drug flows by sea. "As you know, it's 97 per cent down by water," Trump said.

Trump said piracy has also dropped. "So far, we haven't seen anybody going out," he said. "We see very little pirating nowadays."

He described how vessels are targeted. "They get the same missile," Trump said.

Trump added a broader claim. "Every boat that comes in with drugs on it that we take out, we just saved 25,000 American lives," he said.

Hegseth praised a recent operation. "No other military in the world could have executed the most sophisticated, powerful raid... in world history," he said.

Trump said Hegseth has been "totally authorized" to carry out the policy.

The Trump administration in the last one year has framed its approach as restoring American strength and credibility across regions, including the Middle East, the western hemispehere and global shipping lanes.

Maritime security and counter-narcotics operations remain a key element of US defence posture, involving cooperation with partners and the use of military assets beyond traditional combat zones.

- IANS